Twenty Thousand Screams Under the Sea
by Fegerrific
Summary: The gang travels to Mexico to watch a diving competition off the famous cliffs of Acapulco. But when a terrifying sea monster from Aztec legend kidnaps one of the divers, the sleuths are pulled into another mystery. Can the gang brave the treacherous waters and seek out the truth behind this mythological mess?
1. Monster Attack!

The night was almost over as a young fisherman rowed out to the center of the Acapulco cove, his powerful arms pulling his oars through the choppy water. He sighed, wiped the sweat off his brow and tossed his net overboard. Within minutes, a tug came on the net. Excitedly, the fisherman yanked the net into the boat.

Dismayed, he found the net ripped to shreds, apparently from the rocks and coral below. The man sighed, muttering a curse in Spanish. From the depths below, the man heard a deep throaty chuckle as a shadowy form rose from the water.

The fisherman stared in fright as the breaking dawn illuminated the figure: a scaled, humanoid creature with razor-sharp claws. Its face contorted into a cruel smile as it reached toward the fisherman. With a shout of horror, the poor fisherman rowed away in a panic.


	2. There's a Mystery in Town

Velma Dinkley stretched out on a beach towel as the noon sun baked overhead. She adjusted her square-rimmed glasses, focusing on the guidebook in front of her. Her eyes widened as she skimmed a few pages. "Jinkies!" she exclaimed.

Daphne and Fred looked up from their respective books. "What is it, Velma?" Daphne asked as she adjusted the straps of her violet bathing suit.

"Listen to this," Velma began, "An ancient creature of Aztec legend is said to haunt the Acapulco coves. Fishermen report that it destroys their nets and sinks their boats."

"Jeepers. Sounds scary," Daphne exclaimed.

"Oh, it's just a silly legend designed to scare tourists," Fred scoffed.

"It's not just a legend; I saw it myself," came a voice behind them. The gang turned to face the speaker.

"You actually saw the Sea Beast?" Daphne asked incredulously. "Who are you?"

"I am Señor Valdez. I saw the creature off Miedo Cove."

"Miedo Cove?" Daphne asked. "What does that mean?"

"Cove of Fear," Señor Valdez translated.

"But that's where the cliff diving competition is being held," Fred protested.

Señor Valdez raised an eyebrow. "I would advise against it. If you do go, be careful."

"I see you boys like to eat!" the waiter exclaimed in heavily accented English. He looked appraisingly at the empty dishes strewed around the table.

"Like, taco, burrito and like, enchilada are the only Spanish words we know. Right, Scoob?" Shaggy chuckled as he accepted another bowl of salsa.

"Ruh-huh!" Scooby agreed as he slurped up a burrito with his long pink tongue.

The waiter offered the pair The Acapulco Times to look at while they ate. Shaggy took it, smearing salsa on the front page story. Ignoring the salsa-streaked page, he skimmed a side column. "Hey, Scoob. Look at this."

Shaggy turned the paper for Scooby to see. "Ramerican rin Racarulco," Scooby read.

"Yeah, it's about that diving competition the gang wants us to see. 'American diver Tyler "Tiger" Morris is competing in today's diving contest off Miedo Cove. In a twist that has shocked many fans, Morris has claimed that this may be his last time competing. "As my contract expires, I'm looking forward to the new opportunities that await me," Morris stated in an earlier interview.' Hmmmm." Shaggy folded up the paper to fit in his pocket.

"Dessert?" the waiter asked with a smile.

"Like, one of everything," Shaggy replied. "Hey, look, here comes the gang!"

Fred, Velma and Daphne entered into the restaurant, motioning for Shaggy and Scooby to join them.

"Like, competition time already?" Shaggy asked as the waiter deposited a towering stack of plates on the table. "We haven't eaten dessert yet."

"Come on, you two," Velma sighed.

As Shaggy and Scooby reluctantly left their untouched flan behind, the waiter watched them go. Dread mounting, he then turned to the pile of dishes


	3. The Diving Contest

"Zoinks!" Shaggy exclaimed, staring down into the swirling water hundreds of miles below. "I can see why they call this 'The Cove of Fear!' You could dive for miles off here and, like, still never hit bottom."

The gang jostled for position as a crowd began to form. A heavyset bald man stepped forward and took a microphone. His blindingly white suit shimmered in the Acapulco sun as he began speaking in rapid-fire, heavily-accented English. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen to today's diving competition!" Cheers, whoops and hollers followed this announcement. "The divers will now draw for position!"

Holding up a hand for silence, the announcer turned to the assembled divers. He held out a clear glass fishbowl, filled to the brim with numbered buttons, to the first diver.

A man in a Hawaiian shirt and swimsuit raced forward toward the announcer. "Wait! Am I too late?" he panted.

"Tiger Morris!" the announcer exclaimed.

"My plane was late getting to Acapulco. I was afraid I would miss the contest," Tiger gasped, his chest heaving.

"We just started, Senor," the announcer assured him. Holding up the fishbowl, he gestured to its contents. "You may draw the first number."

"I only hope it's a high one," Tiger said, reaching his hand into the fishbowl to pull out a button. "I could use a little time to catch my breath,"

"NUMBER ONE!" the announcer roared.

Tiger grimaced. "Just my luck." He pulled off his shirt and pinned the button to his swimsuit. Toeing the edge of the cliff, he gracefully leaped off, entering the water with barely a splash. The audience cheered wildly.

The second contestant walked forward to the cliff. Tiger emerged from the water, panic etched on his face. "HELP!" he shouted in fear. "Someone HELP! There's something down here! Something terrible! STAY AW¬-" his shouts were cut off as he was pulled under the water.

A minute later, a hideous, slimy creature emerged from the water. Its eyes glowed yellow as it hissed and roared at the spectators.

Instantly, panic filled the competition. The judges stood up quickly, overturning their table. The fishbowl of buttons flew through the air, shattering and spilling numbered buttons everywhere. The spectators abandoned their bleachers. Divers dashed off, piling into cars and trucks. The arena was quickly emptied.

"Everyone's leaving," Daphne exclaimed.

"Yeah, and like, so should we," Shaggy exclaimed. "Follow those divers!"

"Sorry, Shaggy," Fred said firmly. "We've got a mystery on our hands. Follow that Sea Beast!" The gang began the treacherous descent down the cliff face to the water.

"Look," Velma exclaimed. Nestled inside the rock face was a small cave. "A sea cave. This is probably underwater when the tide isn't out."

"A perfect hiding place for that Sea Beast," Fred exclaimed.

After bribing Scooby and Shaggy with snacks, the gang cautiously entered the cave. Velma pulled out a flashlight and turned it on.

"No sign of the creature," Daphne sighed with relief.

"Well, that'sithe'snotherelet'sgo!" Shaggy exclaimed quickly. He and Scooby tried to make a dash for the exit, but Fred held them back. "Not so fast, you two. Listen."

The sound of footsteps echoed through the cave. Velma aimed her flashlight towards the sound. "Augh! Put that light out!" came a voice.

Velma lowered her flashlight with a sigh. "It's you, Señor Valdez."

"What are you all doing here?" he demanded. "I warned you not to come."

"We saw the Sea Beast," Velma replied. "But if it's so dangerous, why are YOU down here?"

Señor Valdez bit his lip. "I was…um…heading back to the surface…you would be wise to do the same." Quickly, Valdez rushed off.

"That was…suspicious," Velma muttered. "Let's keep going."

Cautiously, the gang traversed the cave until they came to two divergent paths. "Let's split up, gang," Fred announced.

Wordlessly, Shaggy and Scooby trudged down the darkest path. "Hey, I didn't say HOW we were splitting up," Fred protested.

"Like, do we ever do it any other way?" Shaggy asked without turning around.

Fred shrugged and motioned the girls down the other path.

Shaggy and Scooby crept down the dark path. "Man, it's dark down here. I wish I had my flashlight." As if a switch had been flipped, the cave was instantly illuminated. "Like, Scoob, where did you get the flashlight?"

"Rhy ridn't," Scooby answered.

"Then who..." Shaggy turned around to face the glowing eyes of the Sea Beast! "Like, ZOINKS!"


	4. Clue Hunting

Velma, Daphne and Fred stared dejectedly at the smooth stretch of rock ahead of them. "Jeepers, it's a dead end," Daphne sighed. "I hope the guys are having more luck than we are."

"GANGWAAAAAAAAAYYY!" came a shout from the distance.

"That was Shaggy!" Fred exclaimed.

"They're in trouble!" Velma shouted. "Come on!"

The three raced through the passageway, hoping to find Shaggy and Scooby before...

BAM! The gang ran headlong into each other, collapsing in a heap on the ground.

""Like, fancy running into you, here," quipped Shaggy.

"Jinkies, my glasses. I can't see a thing without my glasses." Velma began blindly crawling through the cave, patting the ground in search of her glasses. Someone handed them to her in the confusion. "Thanks," she said, standing up and putting the glasses on. Her vision swam before clearing up. She suddenly found herself staring into the glowing eyes of the Sea Beast. "JINKIIIES!" she screamed.

The gang raced through the cavern, stumbling over rocks, splashing through stagnant water, running through hallways with improbable physics, all while sixties pop music played in the background.

The gang stopped running at the mouth of the cave. "I think...we've...lost him..." Fred puffed.

The gang turned to see Señor Valdez waving at them from his boat. He rowed over to them. "It's you, Señor Valdez. What are you doing here?" Daphne asked.

"Fishing," he answered, lifting up his net. "Did you see the Sea Beast?"

"Like, we sure did!" Shaggy replied while Scooby imitated the beast. "It was, like big, scaly and, like, scary!"

"Can you take us out to where you saw the Sea Beast?" Velma interrupted.

"Of course. I do not know why you want to go, but I will take you. I even have scuba gear if you want to go get a closer look."

Fred and Velma exchanged suspicious glances. Why would a fisherman have scuba gear?

"We'll be back, soon, guys," Fred said as he and the girls clambered into the boat.

"Okay. Like,we'll stay right here. In the creepy cave of, like, Sea Beast doom." The gang rowed away, leaving the pair alone. "Like, I guess we wait for them to come back. Maybe there's, like, food down here."

"Reah!" Scooby barked. "Rearood!"

"Right, Scoob, seafood. Well, can't find what you don't seek. Let's go Scoob."

"Rollow re!"

Amid the setting sun and rumblings of thunder, Señor Valdez rowed the gang out to the Sea Beast's lair. "Here. Here is where I saw him," he proclaimed.

"Look, guys," Daphne proclaimed. "There's something under the water. Something BIG!"

"Well, onward and downward," Fred said, clambering into scuba gear. "These helmets have radios, so we can communicate with each other." The gang dove into the cerulean water.

"I will be back within the hour," Señor Valdez promised as he rowed away.

Once underwater, the gang learned that the shadow was a sunken ship. Upon exploring the galleon, the gang found it curiously empty of any treasure or valuables.

"Someone must have gotten here first," Velma commented.

"Wonder who..." Fred mused. Suddenly, a strong force pulled the three away from the ship. Helplessly, they clung to each other as they were buffeted around in the water.

"It must be a current!" Velma shouted. "We'll be seeing Shaggy and Scooby sooner than we thought!"

"Look, Scoob," Shaggy pointed to a pile of gray shells. "Abalone!"

"Raroney?"

"Not bologna, Scoob. **A-**balone!" Shaggy snickered. "These are good eating!" He snatched one from the pile. "You open the shell and..." Shaggy pulled out a gleaming pearl necklace. "Like, I've heard of pearls in shells, but never a whole necklace!" Shaggy stuck the shell and necklace into his pocket. "We better show this to Fred and the girls when they get back."

"RIPE!" Scooby yelped. "Rea Reast!" The sea beast raced towards them with a roar!

"Zoinks! Like, guess we have to eat and run, Scoob!"

Fred and the girls spun like clothes in a dryer as the current pulled them inexorably towards the cave. With a thump, they washed up in a heap on the beach. "We're back in the cave."

"I wonder where Señor Valdez is?" Velma asked, kicking off her flippers.

"Or Shaggy and Scooby," Fred finished, yanking off his helmet.

"Jinkies! There they are!"

"Being chased by that sea beast," Fred finished. "Let's go!" Quickly, the trio scrambled out of the scuba gear and clambered up the cliff face. Scooby and Shaggy followed suit. The Sea Beast shook his fist and hissed at the fleeing gang before returning to the cave.

"We're safe for now," Fred gasped. He and the gang walked across the sand towards their hotel.

"Ripe!" Scooby yelped.

"What's wrong, Scoob?" Shaggy asked with concern. With a whimper, Scooby held up a paw. A shard of glass protruded from a toe. "We'll get that out; don't worry."

While Shaggy dealt with Scooby, Velma's brain went into overdrive. "Why is there broken glass there?" she wondered. She followed the trail of broken glass to the shattered fishbowl from the morning's diving contest. Avoiding the shattered glass, she picked through the spilled buttons. "Number 1? How did it get back into the bowl?"

"Better?" Shaggy asked.

Scooby gave a tearful doggy smile. "Ruch. Ranks, Raggy,"

"Here, let's clean you up," Shaggy pulled out his handkerchief. The abalone shell and newspaper bounded out as well. "Oops."

Fred picked up the paper and shell. "What's this?"

"Zoinks, I'd forgotten all about that. There's a pearl necklace in that shell."

"Pearls only come in oysters, Shaggy," Daphne commented.

"Still," Velma said, examining the glimmering necklace, "we should check this out in Acapulco." She pocketed the necklace and began reading the salsa-streaked paper.


	5. Capturing the Creature

When Mystery Inc trooped into Gonzalez Jewelry, they found the place deserted. "Señor Gonzalez? Señor Gonzalez? Are you in here?" Daphne called.

A bearded man emerged from a back room. "I am Señor Gonzalez," the man replied with a deep, heavily-accented voice. "What can I help you with?"

"We're sorry to bother you so late at night, but were hoping that you knew something about this necklace we found," Velma replied, handing over the jewels.

Señor Gonzalez slipped a jeweler's lens over his right eye and squinted down at the piece. He gasped in shock. "This is a very rare and valuable necklace." He indicated the gold clasp. "This design right here, it is a mark of the Spanish royal family. I had another customer asking about a piece similar to this a few days ago. Where did you find such a thing?"

"Like, if you told you, you would think it was **A**-baloney!" Shaggy quipped. "Get it, Scoob? Abalone?"

"Rabarone? Ree-hee-hee-hee! Ri ron't ret it..."

Velma took the necklace and wandered over to the shop's guestbook. Absently, she flipped through the pages. "Tiger Morris?"

Señor Gonzalez raced over and slammed the book. "My shop is very popular. Everyone who comes to Acapulco comes here. Please, good night!"

"Well, he was friendly," Fred muttered as they were unceremoniously evicted from the jeweler's shop into the dark of night.

"Friendly or not, he gave me all the clues I needed to solve this mystery," Velma announced. "Let's get to the harbor patrol office."

Behind them, a horrifying roar chilled their blood. Turning slowly, the gang saw the Sea Beast barreling towards them!

The gang sprinted the length of the dock with the Beast behind them. Fred, Daphne and Velma leaped into a parasailing boat anchored in the water. Shaggy, Scooby grabbed onto the parasail in a panic, but the Sea Beast grabbed on too!

Fred started up the boat and raced away. The beast swiped and hissed at Shaggy and Scooby, who fell with a splash into the water. "Quick, Fred, steer into that yacht club!" Daphne announced.

Fred steered into the yacht club. The parasail hung up on a yacht mast, and the rope attached to the sail wrapped tightly around the Sea Beast so it couldn't get free. It snarled and hissed as it hung helplessly from the mast.

Señor Valdez rowed up to the dock. "Congratulations, kids!" he exclaimed.

"What?" Fred shouted. I thought Senor Valdez was the Sea Beast!"

"Actually, it's CHIEF Valdez," he corrected, showing his badge to the gang. "I've been undercover for about a week, posing as a poor fisherman in order to catch this 'Sea Beast.' But you kids got him for me." Carefully, he lowered the snarling, bound creature to the pier.

"But who IS it?" Shaggy asked.

"Reah, rho?" Scooby barked.


	6. The Mystery Revealed

"It's easy to figure out," Velma replied, "once you realize what's been going on."

"Well, that leaves us out," Shaggy chuckled.

"When you found the pearl necklace in the abalone shell, that confirmed my suspicions about the sunken galleon in the cove," Velma explained.

Fred took over from there. "When we found that there was no treasure in the galleon, we realized that the same current that pulled us into the cave had pulled the treasure there as well."

Realization dawned on Shaggy's face. "And then it was, like, gobbled up by the abalone shells, right?"

"Right," Velma confirmed. "The Sea Beast was only a disguise to keep people away from the area while the treasures were stolen."

"And he had to make an appearance at the competition," Fred continued, "to keep the cliff divers from discovering the treasure."

"Like, I get it," Shaggy exclaimed. So who is it, anyway?"

Velma strode over to the struggling Sea Beast and yanked off its mask. "It's Tiger Morris!"

Shaggy recoiled in shock while Daphne took over the explanation. "The book in the jewelry store placed him in Acapulco at least since yesterday, but he told us that he'd just gotten in on the plane."

"He had a duplicate Number One button in his hand to make sure that he was the first to dive," Velma finished. "Then he could scramble into his costume and scare everyone else away."

"That explains the two buttons," Shaggy said. "The last thing I don't get is why."

Velma held up Shaggy's salsa-streaked newspaper. "His contract," she answered. "With his contract expiring, he was out of a job. So he decided to turn to a life of crime."

Tiger scowled as Chief Valdez jerked him to his feet. "And I would have been rich today, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids," he spat.

The next morning, the gang headed to the beach, reveling in the now monster-free cove.

"With the Sea Beast gone, it should be a relaxing vacation, now," Fred proclaimed as he lay down on his towel.

"And we can get down to some serious sightseeing," Velma said with a wave of her camera.

"Hey, guys, look at this!" Shaggy exclaimed. The gang strode down the beach to Shaggy. "It's a sand sculpture of my best pal, Scooby."

"Jinkies!" Velma exclaimed. "How did you get it so life-like?"

Suddenly, the sand sculpture sneezed, blowing sand all over the gang. "Like, that's how," Shaggy chuckled. "I think they found us out, Scoob."

Scooby snickered. "Rooby-rooby-ROOO!


	7. Epilogue: A Thief's Redemption

Tiger began to sweat in fear as Chief Valdez led him down the pier. 'I won't survive in a Mexican prison,' he thought in a panic. 'I should be lounging in the lap of luxury, not facing a long prison sentence.' Thinking of his embarrassing capture and arrest, his panic turned to anger. 'Those meddling kids ruined everything.'

The pair arrived at the harbor patrol office and a swarm of officers dragged the disgraced diver inside. After being stripped of his costume, fingerprinted and photographed, Tiger was handed a grey prison jumpsuit and locked up in a holding cell. The chief left, leaving two officers to hold down the place for the night.

Alone in his cell, Tiger collapsed onto the lumpy cot. Hugging his knees to his chest, the diver sighed. Hot tears stung his cheeks, but he fought back the urge to sob. A wave of fresh anger surged through Tiger's chest as his mind wandered again to the meddling kids. 'It was all so perfect,' he thought. 'Scare the locals with a terrifying legend and walk away with a fortune. But those stupid kids had to go and ruin everything!' "Why couldn't they be scared away like everyone else?" he muttered aloud. Eventually, Tiger abandoned his furious thoughts and drifted off to an unsettling sleep.

As the sun dawned over Acapulco, sunlight drifted lazily through the barred cell window, Drenched in sweat, Tiger woke up in a panic. "What a nightmare!" he muttered to himself. "I dreamed that I got captured by these four kids and their stupid dog and…" blearily, he looked around, expecting his hotel room. Instead, he saw a cramped holding cell. Reality rushed back and he collapsed back in a heap on the blankets.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty," the chief laughed mockingly, his lips curled up in a sneer. "You know, they say that only the guilty sleep in prison." Chief Valdez stepped closer to the cell and instructed Tiger to turn around and put his hands behind his back. Fastening handcuffs on Tiger's wrists, the chief led the prisoner out of the cell.

"Where are you taking me?" Tiger asked, unable to keep the nervous quaver out of his voice.

"If you cooperate, nowhere unpleasant," the chief replied. Intentionally, he tightened the handcuffs, causing Tiger to cry out in pain. "If you don't cooperate, quality time with Arturo the weightlifter."

Tiger was escorted to the chief's office and handcuffed to a chair. Chief Valdez positioned himself across the desk from his prisoner. "Before we turn you over to the police, you have the right to make a statement about the crime." He plunked an old-fashioned tape recorder in front of the diver.

"I don't have to tell you anything," Tiger spat, turning away from the chief. "You want a statement, go talk to those stupid kids. They know every detail."

The chief raised an eyebrow at Tiger's staunch refusal. "Those 'stupid kids' aren't the ones in handcuffs. From what I can tell from my undercover investigation, you've stolen at least a half a million dollars in ancient treasures. You're facing up to twenty-five years behind bars."

Tiger's head shot up, fear etched on every line of his face, before slumping back down in defeat. "It's no less than I deserve," he muttered.

"If you make a statement telling why you did it, you might get off with a slap on the wrist. The last thing we need is to draw the ire of your fans," Chief Valdez said, pressing the record button. Slowly, the ancient reels began to turn.

The diver laughed a hollow, mirthless chuckle. "What fans?" He straightened up and looked the chief straight in the eye. "My name is Tyler Daniel Morris. Tiger is a nickname I picked up during my career as a professional diver. All the commentators, all the announcers and all my fans called me a star. They chanted my name as I climbed up the ladder and toed the edge of the diving board." Tiger sighed deeply before continuing. "But suddenly, all those fans vanished. I was a has-been. A broken-down, washed-up old has-been. My agent cancelled my contract and left me almost penniless.

"The cliff-diving competition was meant to be my last hurrah," Tiger continued his story as the ancient cassette dutifully recorded every word. "But as I was practicing at Miedo Cove, I stumbled upon the shipwreck and all its treasures. A jeweler in town claimed that the pieces bore the mark of the Spanish royal family. I knew that if I sold them, all my financial troubles would be over. So I took advantage of a local legend and disguised myself so I could steal the treasures uninterrupted. But I never sold them or smuggled them out of the country. They're still here in Mexico."

An uncomfortable silence followed the diver's tale. The recorder's wheels ground to a stop as the chief clicked the stop button. "I have to commend you for your research. You accurately portrayed the Aztec Sea Beast, right down to the elbow spikes. You probably would have gotten away with it if those American sleuths hadn't intervened. Most people take the old myths rather seriously. I believed you were the real thing for quite some time.

"Now, the treasure is a different story," Chief Valdez continued. "The jewelry you stole technically belongs to the Mexican National Museum. I say technically, because it never actually made it to Mexico. They were a gift from Spain as a way to apologize for the destruction they caused on our country many years ago. Many of the pearls that had been pillaged during the day of the conquistadors had been turned into fine jewelry. As a peace offering between the two nations, Spain sent this fine jewelry to Mexico. However, the ship carrying the precious cargo sank beneath the waves and was lost to the ages. Lost, until you inadvertently found it in your underwater Sea Beast escapades," the chief finished.

"I had no idea," Tiger breathed.

"Very few know the story. Even fewer believe it. They think it as fake as a three peso coin." Chief Valdez chewed on his bottom lip. "Right now, you are the only one who knows exactly where the sunken galleon is located. And you are, as they say, the best diver in the world."

Tiger looked puzzled. "I suppose…" he replied.

"Then let's make a deal," the chief said. "You remain in our custody instead of going to prison. You will recover the treasure in the sea cave. But instead of lining your pockets, it will go to a museum. In return, I will set you free and personally expunge your record. Mexico will remember you as a hero, not a thief," the chief finished.

A great weight seemed to shift off Tiger's chest. "I accept – as long as I get this in writing."

"Done. Just remember," Chief Valdez fixed his prisoner with a death glare. "You're not off the hook yet. We will be watching you very closely. Trying to escape or stealing any treasure will earn you a one-way ticket to prison. Understand?"

Tiger shrank under the chief's glare. "I understand. Thank you." Chief Valdez unlocked Tiger's cuffs and the two men shook on their deal.

Over the next three years, Tiger found every last pearl, gold necklace and silver coin in the sunken galleon and sea cave. As promised, Chief Valdez erased Tiger's record (and gave him some pearls to keep as thanks.) Although his career as a professional diver was over, Tiger wished to use his diving prowess to help others. With his unblemished record and newfound respect for ancient treasures, Tiger applied to become a diver searching for underwater archaeological finds.


End file.
